House catches fire while family on vacation

Assisted-living home next door evacuated as precaution

A southwest Houston house caught fire Monday while the owners were out of town.

The fire broke out around 5:46 a.m. on Barberton near Beechnut. When firefighters arrived, they said they found flames shooting through the roof.

"The fire was hidden amongst all the construction debris on the first floor and in the attic," District Chief Steve Chichon said. It was hiding in pockets and so for 40 minutes the firefighters were on the inside trying to put it out."

Investigators surveyed the home to make sure no one was inside.

Most of the flames were concentrated in the attic of the home, officials said, but the exact cause was under investigation.

Ten residents who lived in an assisted-living home next door were evacuated as a precaution.